Senate candidate Angie Nixon returned to her alma mater alongside U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as part of his “Fighting Oligarchy Tour.”
The tour, organized by Sanders, is a series of political rallies across the country aimed to connect with Americans who oppose corporate influence on elections. Beginning in February 2025, the tour has featured guest speakers like Abdul El-Sayed, a U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Hosted by UF College Democrats, Nixon and Sanders spoke to roughly 750 attendees in the University Auditorium Sunday afternoon. The event reached capacity around 11 a.m., with more than 2,500 attendees surrounding the venue, according to event organizers.
Outside the auditorium, eventgoers chanted Nixon’s name. Similar cheers echoed inside.
Organizers and supporters dressed in a sea of pink, holding signs that read “Freeze the Rent,” “Tax Billionaires" and “Protect Social Security.” Several signs referenced policies Nixon has campaigned on ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Nixon, a member of the Florida House of Representatives, is the Democratic nominee in Florida’s U.S. Senate special election. Her Republican opponent, Ashley Moody, was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2025 after Marco Rubio left the seat to serve as U.S. Secretary of State.
Nixon took the podium to mobilize voters ahead of the upcoming election. She outlined plans to address rising costs, promote universal healthcare and pass legislation to stop Congress members from trading stock.
Throughout her speech, Nixon referenced Moody’s alleged involvement in the Hope Florida scandal .
Reports leaked last year alleged Florida leaders helped funnel a $10 million Medicaid settlement into multiple political action committees. Moody, who served as Florida attorney general until 2025, hasn’t commented on her involvement.
“I am tired of watching corrupt politicians like Ashley Moody get richer and richer while the rest of us are working harder and harder, only just to barely get by,” Nixon said. “I have spent my entire life fighting for working families … and for the right of every single person to live with dignity.”
Sanders made similar remarks, accusing Elon Musk and other billionaires of using money to sway elections. Musk has become the largest individual donor of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, spending at least $366 million, according to reports.
“Why is it that Elon Musk, the richest man on earth, is spending $350 million in Florida and all over this country to make sure that Republicans continue to control the U.S. Senate and U.S. House?” he said. “Why is it that they are paying for ugly 32-second ads bombarding TV screens right here in Florida?”
Sanders said wealthy Americans and billionaires are increasingly investing in elections because they’re afraid of the working class supporting economic reform.
He also encouraged students to vote in the November election. Younger generations will inherit a country with climate challenges and wealth inequality, he said, problems his generation was responsible for.
A win in Florida could help mobilize similar efforts across the country, he added.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen on November third, but it is quite possible that the future of the United States Senate, and in fact the future of America, could come down right here to Florida,” he said.
Maria Carmela, a 20-year-old UF environmental science junior, will vote for her second time this election. Nixon is the first candidate she is excited to cast a ballot for, she added.
“I just think that the midterms are really important right now more than ever,” she said. “I truly hope she wins and there’s a blue wave coming and a lot of progress.”
Paula Guerrein, a 67-year-old Gainesville resident, said she attended the event to hear from Nixon and Sanders about their plans to address economic inequality.
She was excited to see so many students in attendance, she said, and she hopes younger generations will continue to register to vote and canvas for candidates.
“This event was definitely very exciting. You get pumped up, and you just want to see progress,” she said. “Young people got to turn out because that’s who's going to make a change for this country.”
Contact Olivia Lofaso at olofaso@alligator.org. Follow her on X @OLofaso77652.
Olivia Lofaso is a senior journalism student at UF and the Fall 2026 City and County Commission reporter, a role she previously held during the summer. She enjoys gushing about her cocker spaniels to anyone who will listen and playing the cello in her free time.
